I happened to catch the tail end of what I think are the hairy bikers last night. I don’t normally watch them because for me hairiness and cooking don’t go together, however they are doing an interesting series on introducing local suppliers to local quality chefs via the means of cooking sample dishes.
Last night they were in Scotland and one of their “finds” was honeyberries (which I’d never hear of) and they just loved them. I’ve tried blueberries here but struggle to get a good crop and it seems to me from their description that honeyberries are more climate and soil tolerant.
Anyone had any experience? Not least, I’m trying to match different variety names and not having much success at finding the sweetest available here in France (or adjacent countries where they might deliver). The following make interesting reading:
I will be very interested to know how you get on with those, @SuePJ if you do decide to get them. We have prolific crops here from blueberries (very slightly acid soil) which we’d never been able to grow in the UK, so don’t need them from that point of view, but I spotted them a few years back and wondered about trying them!
HOWEVER, after reading lots of eminent people’s lyrical and enthusiastic comments on Goji berries (usually offed for sale by the same people who offer honeyberries), I gave them a go several years ago and a)they tasted horrible b) they were more invasive and pernicious than brambles and c) they gave weedy crops anyway as the fruit was so small. This experience put me right off trying “unusual fruit” but it is probably hugely unfair
We had them at our last house here in France, they grew really well and because they come from Siberia originally, they are totally hardy -30-40C.
They were non-invasive and we got quite a lot of fruit off of them, they were basically plant and forget, though this was beside a pond so quite damp.
It’s a while ago but it was either Dobbies or Robert Dyas we got them from and I think the variety was Morenia,
They taste just like blueberries maybe slightly sweeter, I’m not really the right person to ask as I don’t like many fruits and rarely eat any that isn’t marked Del Montie it does my wife’s head in
We have loganberries here now and I prefer them.
We had a mulberry in the UK and it grew so fast it became a big tree and covered the whole width of our garden plus half of the ones either side within a very few years. We had to get it felled! The fruit was lovely but only if you have a vast garden…
I love eating mulberries… but they’re so tiny… I regularly visit a friend when her tree is fruiting… I’ve heard her blaming the birds for her lack of fruit… ooops
They really are tiny, aren’t they? Ours dropped loads of their fruit on the paths (ours and the neighbours). We had hard floors downstairs but they had cream carpets…
Because of @SuePJ 's original question, I searched out my copy of James Wong’s “Homegrown Revolution” to see whether honeyberries were in there. The fact that they aren’t bodes well for them in my view since almost everything in the “unusual varieties” sorts of suggestions have been complete failures when I tried them!
However, and I am aware this is thread drift so please forgive me Sue, on looking at the book I was reminded of Chilean Guava plants which he suggested and I tried in the UK but left the country shortly afterwards so I’ve no idea whether they worked or not. They seem to like the same conditions as blueberries so probably no good for Sue, but has anyone any experience of these?
They grow well here, though they have to be brought under cover in the winter if further north, the Chateau has two in big pots, and they flower and fruit well.
it does my wife’s head in 
